CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville-Montgomery County residents witnessed a dazzling phenomenon Tuesday night: the northern lights – a rare treat in the South – which may give an encore performance again tonight.
This occurrence is due to a strong geomagnetic storm caused by a solar flare, which was at its peak on Tuesday, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center with the National Weather Service. States as far south as Alabama may be able to view the lights during the storm.
Multiple solar flares have been tracked just this week, ranging in intensity. SWPC warned that there may be “detrimental impacts to some of our critical infrastructure technology,” but it likely will not have a noticeable impact.
WKRN in Nashville, Tennessee reports that the lights are less visible to the naked eye but are relatively easy to spot on a longer exposure picture with a phone or camera. Putting a phone in night mode and setting the exposure to 10 seconds will result in the best pictures.
Peak times to catch a glimpse of the lights are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. away from city lights.
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